Please let this be true. Although it would be a huge loss for the premiership. I'd love to see Arsenal drop down the league.

BBC Sport Wrote:

Barcelona close in on Henry deal

Thierry Henry is on the verge of joining Barcelona from Arsenal, BBC Sport understands.
Sources close to the Catalan club have told the BBC they expect to make an official announcement about the 29-year-old within the next day or so.

The BBC understands the fee is in the region of £16m and Henry will sign a four-year deal.

Henry signed a new four-year contract with the Gunners last year and said he would stay for the rest of his career.

But he appeared to cast doubt on his future in June when he said he was flattered by interest from AC Milan.

This came after he said he was "devastated" when Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein left the club in April because of "irreconcilable differences" with the rest of the board.

Both AC Milan and Barcelona had declared their interest in the player, who has constantly been linked with a big-money move away from Arsenal for the last few summers.

Henry's agent Jeff Weston told BBC Sport "The SEM Group have no comment to make" but did not deny the reports.

Earlier in June, the agency rubbished reports from France that the Arsenal star had agreed a provisional three-year contract with Barcelona.

Former Arsenal team-mate Patrick Vieira told BBC Five Live that he feared Henry would leave the Gunners if the Premiership side did not bring several world-class players.

"If Arsenal bring two or three big names that will show Thierry that they want to compete," said the current Inter Milan player.

"If that's not the case Thierry will ask himself what is the best for him."

Henry began his career as a winger with Monaco in 1994 under the supervision of current Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

He was in France's 1998 World Cup winning squad and went on to join Juventus the following season.

But his time in Turin was a largely unsuccessful one and the player was soon heading to north London with Wenger keen to get the best out of the prodigious talent.

The France international has since blossomed into one of the greatest talents in world football.

He helped Arsenal to two league titles and three FA Cups, and led the Gunners to the finals of the 2000 Uefa Cup and 2006 Champions League.

In February 2006, he became the first Arsenal player to score over 200 goals for the club with a strike against Birmingham.

His consistency in front of goal has seen him finish as the Premier League's top scorer on four occasions, while he has won the PFA Players' Player of the Year title on two occasions and the football writers' player of the year three times.

Henry has also twice finished runner-up in the Fifa world player of the year.

Please let this be true. Although it would be a huge loss for the premiership. I'd love to see Arsenal drop down the league.

BBC Sport Wrote:

Barcelona close in on Henry deal

Thierry Henry is on the verge of joining Barcelona from Arsenal, BBC Sport understands.
Sources close to the Catalan club have told the BBC they expect to make an official announcement about the 29-year-old within the next day or so.

The BBC understands the fee is in the region of £16m and Henry will sign a four-year deal.

Henry signed a new four-year contract with the Gunners last year and said he would stay for the rest of his career.

But he appeared to cast doubt on his future in June when he said he was flattered by interest from AC Milan.

This came after he said he was "devastated" when Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein left the club in April because of "irreconcilable differences" with the rest of the board.

Both AC Milan and Barcelona had declared their interest in the player, who has constantly been linked with a big-money move away from Arsenal for the last few summers.

Henry's agent Jeff Weston told BBC Sport "The SEM Group have no comment to make" but did not deny the reports.

Earlier in June, the agency rubbished reports from France that the Arsenal star had agreed a provisional three-year contract with Barcelona.

Former Arsenal team-mate Patrick Vieira told BBC Five Live that he feared Henry would leave the Gunners if the Premiership side did not bring several world-class players.

"If Arsenal bring two or three big names that will show Thierry that they want to compete," said the current Inter Milan player.

"If that's not the case Thierry will ask himself what is the best for him."

Henry began his career as a winger with Monaco in 1994 under the supervision of current Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

He was in France's 1998 World Cup winning squad and went on to join Juventus the following season.

But his time in Turin was a largely unsuccessful one and the player was soon heading to north London with Wenger keen to get the best out of the prodigious talent.

The France international has since blossomed into one of the greatest talents in world football.

He helped Arsenal to two league titles and three FA Cups, and led the Gunners to the finals of the 2000 Uefa Cup and 2006 Champions League.

In February 2006, he became the first Arsenal player to score over 200 goals for the club with a strike against Birmingham.

His consistency in front of goal has seen him finish as the Premier League's top scorer on four occasions, while he has won the PFA Players' Player of the Year title on two occasions and the football writers' player of the year three times.

Henry has also twice finished runner-up in the Fifa world player of the year.

True they have lots of talent. But if Henry left, who lets face it is their best player, I think other players may have doubts about the team. Although they would still have top players there. They will really miss Wenger if he leaves, he is the key.

Newcastle United face a battle to keep strike-pair Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins away from Arsenal.
With the sale of Thierry Henry to Barcelona now confirmed, the Guardian says part of Arsenal's transfer budget will be thrown at Newcastle for Martins and Owen.

The England striker's buyout clause is for £9m whereas that in Martins's contract is for £13m.

Martins? No Way. Owen would be a great buy though. I'll never understand why Madrid let him go.